Complete Box Score

LANGSTON, Oklahoma - Thanks to a 21-3 run to begin the second half, Langston University stunned 23rd-ranked Texas Wesleyan with an 87-68 upset Saturday night in Oklahoma.

The Rams jumped out to an early 9-5 lead as Marcus Johnson, James Whitfield, and Aaron Whaley all connected from long-range in the opening minutes of the game. Langston, though, put together a 7-0 run, and took the lead at 12-9 after five minutes of play. The lead would change hands several times over the next few minutes, but after a 20-20 tie at the ten-minute mark, the Lions hit consecutive three-pointers to take a six point lead. They would extend that lead to as much as nine, before a late first half Wesleyan rally brought the score to 37-34 at the break.

The Lions opened the second frame on a tear. A pair of David Johnson free throws and one by Marcus Johnson were all Wesleyan could manage in the first seven minutes of the half, as Langston took command of the game by scoring 23 points over that stretch. Nick Traylor’s bucket with 13:26 left on the clock extended the Lions’ lead to 60-37, and virtually assured the Rams of their second loss in as many games. The lead stayed right around 20 for the remainder of the game, reaching a high of 24 on two different occasions, as Langston cruised to the 87-68 win.

The Lions were led by Nate Jones with 21 points on nine of 12 shooting. He also contributed six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Leroy Bledsoe scored 12 for Langston, and Nigel Thomas and Keith Holmes each added ten. Spencer McLeod led Langston with seven rebounds.

For Wesleyan, Marcus Johnson led all scorers with 29 points. He also pulled down six of the team’s 28 rebounds. Whitfield tallied 16 points and five steals, and Joey Gladney contributed 12 points six boards. As a team, the Rams shot 42 percent from the floor in the game, and just 33 percent in the second half.

The Rams drop to 14-6 overall, and 6-2 in the conference play. The team will remain in Oklahoma over the weekend, going up against Bacone College in Muskogee on Monday evening at 7:30. The next Wesleyan home game is on Saturday, February 1 against Southwestern Assemblies of God University.